Supporting the mental health wellness program of Emergency Medical Services in Oakland, Calif.

This grant supports individual and group therapy for Alameda County EMS Corps participants. The corps' pilot project is preparing underrepresented minority youths for health careers as EMS first responders. The current pilot project is demonstrating successful academic, social, emotional and employment outcomes for participating youths. However, there is a need to incorporate formalized mental health services into the program model to address early-childhood and youth trauma, strengthening resilience and improving self-esteem and appropriate social development. The integration of these services will consist of group sessions as healing circles twice a week for all participants and 28 individual therapy sessions for students for 20 weeks.